1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the production and emission of one or more streams of bubbles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the quest to amuse young and old alike, numerous methods and structures have been developed as toys and recreational devices for the production of bubbles. The bubble, with its unique form and appearance, has long fascinated both its creators and observers. It has a structure so pure in shape and strength that for centuries physicists and nonscientists alike have marveled at its mere existence. The way in which bubbles have been produced throughout history has been a study that has been approached with great care and diligence.
Bubbles have most traditionally been produced by placing a wicking device into a solution of soap and glycerin and then forcing gas into or against the attached film that covers the expanse of the wick. In its simplest form, a stick or rod formed with an enlarged opening or port at one end is dipped into a supply of a soapy liquid, and the user blows gently through the opening against the attached film of soapy liquid that is contained within the opening. This causes the film to stretch and inflate and, eventually, close upon itself, producing a spherical, formed soap bubble that is driven by the continuing stream of gas away from the wick on which it was formed.
However, such traditional bubble producing methods and devices require multiple steps, i.e. dipping the wick into bubble solution and then blowing on the wick or wand, and thereafter repeating the same operations again and again. In addition, these operations often fail to produce a significant number of bubbles in each attempt, and thus require that the user repeatedly dip the wick in the supply of bubble solution and blow on or against the wick-attached film in order to generate even a modest volume of bubbles. Further, the necessary repeated dipping of the wick into the bubble solution is typically a very messy process resulting in dripping and spillage of the bubble solution on the user and the user""s surroundings.
It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide a bubble generating and emitting method and apparatus that produces a significant volume of bubbles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bubble generating and emitting method and apparatus that produces a continuous stream or streams of bubbles in a single step, as for example automatically with the continued actuation of an operating switch.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a bubble generating and emitting method and apparatus that does not require the use of a messy wick or manual or repeated dipping of an instrument into a supply of bubble solution.
The present invention advantageously employs an air flow distribution process and system implemented in a bubble generating and emitting assembly to produce a significant volume and continuous stream(s) of bubbles with just the press of a user-actuatable operating button. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention as herein depicted and described, the bubble generating and emitting assembly of the invention diverts portions of an air flow within the device into three separate streams of varying strength and intensity to:
a) create pre-bubble froth or foam or film from a stored supply of bubble liquid;
b) drive the pre-bubble froth or film through tubes or chimneys and inflate the froth or film that attaches to the exit lips of the chimneys to form bubbles; and
c) create an updraft around the outer periphery of the bubble-emitting chimneys to effect and facilitate release and emission of the bubbles from the outer periphery of the chimneys and away from the assembly.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are primarily intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.